Pedal-action for pianos.



\ R. F. MORENUS. PEDAL ACTION FOR PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2B, 1913.

Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT F. MORENUS, OF PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS.

PEDAL-ACTION FOR PIANOS.

Application filed February 28, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT F. h fORENUS, a resident of Park Ridge, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pedal-Actions for Pianos, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to pedal-actions for pianos.

One object of the invention is to provide a pedal construction which avoids the necessity of cutting a slot or opening through the front bottom rail of the piano-case.

Another objectof the invention is to provide an improved noiseless connection between the pedals and the case.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved pedal action for pianos as will hereinafter be more fully set forth.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings; Figure 1 is a plan of a pedal action embodying the invention, the case being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on line 44; of Fig. 1.

The piano case comprises a bottom-board a, a front-board Z) and a front-rail 0 at the meeting-corner of the front and the base. It is now common practice to cut slots in this front rail and sometimes plates are secured to the front rail to give a finished appearance to these openings and to conceal and protect those portions of the veneer or finished surface of the case around the slots.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved pedal, which is formed so that it will not be necessary to cut away the front or veneered portion of the rail 0.

The action usually comprises three pedals (Z, d, (Z for controlling the action of the instrument to produce sounds of different volumes or degrees of loudness, as well unstood in the art. Each of these pedals is connected to the base board a by a flat strip of spring metal 6 which is secured to the base-board as at 6 extends upwardly therefrom as at e", and is bent to underlie and is secured to, the bottom of the pedal, as at 6 This resilient strip provides a noiseless connection between the pedal and the base, and eliminates the necessity of employing pivots Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A11 19,1913.

Serial No. 751,257.

between the pedal and the base. The portion 0 of each. strip keeps the rear end of the pedal elevated, so as to clear the base. Each pedal is also disposed to have its front normally disposed above the bottom-board a to permit downward movement of the front of the pedal and is provided with a. downwardly extending off-set portion e which extends through a slot 64 out in the base-board and is disposed in a cut-away portion 0 in the back of the rail 0. From the downwardly extending offset or portion a the pedal extends forwardly as at c and this portion is disposed beneath the front rail, so that it is not necessary to cut away the veneered portion of the front rail.

The front of each pedal is provided with the usual foot-piece c and a guard e for preventing the foot from coming in contact with the veneered portion of the rail 0. A strip of felt a is interposed between each pedal and the bottom rail 0 to prevent noise. The opening a in bottom board a is formed by notching the front of the base-board and is only of sufiicient width to permit the offset portion 6 to move upwardly and downwardly therein and since that is the only opening necessary and this opening fits this offset portion closely, all possibility of mice entering the piano through the openings for the pedals, will be guarded against.

Each of the pedals (Z, (Z2 is connected to an action-lever g, by means of a rod 9. Each lever g is suitably pivoted to the bottom board a and the free end is suit-ably connected to the usual devices employed for varying the sound. It is now customary to connect the central pedal to one of the levers 9 directly and to limit its movement so as to impart a partial stroke to the levers, and one object is to simplify the construction by dispensing with such a connection and for this purpose an arm (Z is integrally formed on pedal cl and is extended laterally to overlie the pedal. (5. A felt stop d limits the movement of pedal d, so that operation of pedal cZ will shift the pedal cZ a short stroke as desired.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination with a piano case comprising a bottom and a front, the bottom having openings therein, of pedals extend+ ing over the bottom and movably connected to the case and having offset portions ex tending downwardly through the openings in the bottom and under the front of the case, so it will be unnecessary tovcut away said front.

2. The combination with a piano case comprising a bottom and a front, the case having vertically extending openings there? in, of pedals extending over the bottom and movably connected tovvthe case and having offset portions extending downwardly through said openings and in back of the front, so it is unnecessary to cut away said front.

3. The combination with a piano case comprising a bottom and a front including a projecting rail at the bottom front corner, the bottom-having vertically extending openings therein, of pedals extending over the bottom in the case and movably connected to the case, and having offset portions extending downwardly through the openlngs 1n the bottom and under the front portion of the front rail, so that it will not be necessary to cut away sald portion.

4.- The comblnatlon W1th a piano case comprising a bottom and a front including a pro]ect1ng rail at the bottom front corner,

the bottom having vertically extending openings therein, of pedals extending over the bottom in the case .and movably connected to the case, and having offset portions extending downwardly through said openings and under said rail the latter having its rear portion notched or cut away for the offset portion of the pedal.

5. The combination with apiano case com prising a bottom, of a pair of pedals above the bottom, levers above and respectively connected to the pedals, a third pedal having a laterally extending abutment thereon extending over one of the other pedals, to operate the latter when the third pedal is depressed, and meansfor limiting the movement of the third pedal.

ROBERT F. MORENUS.

Witnesses FRED GnR AoH, MILDRED STUMPF.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

